Tobacco harvesting machine



R. L. SPIKES TOBACCO HARVESTING MACHINE April 13, 1954 9 Shets-Sheet lFiled Feb. 5, 1953 INVENTOR Roerlz Sp te filiali ATTORNEYS April 13,1954 R sP|KEs 2,675,136

TOBACCO HARVESTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1953A 9 Sheets-Sheet 2gNVENT'oR" Si. mye ,LM

ATTORNEYS R. L.. SPIKES TOBACCO HARVESTING MACHINE April 13, 1954 9Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb.

BY wlw ATTORNEYS April 13, 1954 R L, sPlKES 2,675,136

' TOBACCO HARVESTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1955 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 BY [E(9.9M

ATTORNE YS 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 5. 1953 a INVENTOR 4' ATTRNEYsApril 13, 1954 R. L. sPlKEs ToBAcco HARVESTING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet 6Filed Feb. 5, 1955 April 13, 1954 f R, L, splKEs 2,575,136

TOBACCO HARVESTING MACHIN Filed Feb. 5, 1955 9 Sheets-Shea*l 7 H0effspif IN VENTOR 70 ATTORNEYS April 13, 1954 RQ L. sPlKEs TOBACCOHARVESTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1953 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Y INVENTORRoer'-S/z7 17u65 QLM ATTORNEYS April 13, 1954 R. l sPlKEs 2,675,136

TOBACCO HARVESTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1955 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 IN VENTOR.

Patented Apr. 13, 1954 UNITED STATES FTENT OFFICE Robert LeeSpikes,Maury, N. C., assigner of one half to MarionSpikes, Washington, D. C.

Application February 5, 1953, Serial No. 335,213

Claims. l

In a harvesting of `tobacco leaves, more especially as practicedinllorthCarolina and similar tobacco growing regions, certain of the tobaccoleaves are removed by manual means. The plants grow in spaced rows landthe common practice is for the leaves to be broken orl the stalks by menand boys working along `the rows and collecting a certain amount of `theleaves in their` arms, 'then crossing over one or more rows to where amule'cart or the like is situated and depositing the leaves therein.Crossing over the rows is necessary due to the .fact that only atcertain intervals of rowsnis there a special wide row for the cart. Thismanual eflort is very slov, and laborious work and during the harvestingseason there is generally 1a shortageof help. Accordingly, the presentinvention is intended `to accomplish the work of .several men, with lesseffort, and at a considerable saving 4of time.

Itis, therefore, an object of this invention 5to provide a machine foruse inharvesting tobacco wherein a plurality of rows of ltobacco may beworked upon, and which includes means whereby the workers may depositlthe leaves as they are gathered, into a vertically movable collector orelevator which is arranged ,to deposit the leaves onto a laterallymovable conveyor', .and the conveyor discharges the leaves into a secondcollector having 4a Alatched bottom so that the leaves maybeperiodically deposited into a truck or other vehicle.

Another object of this invention is `to :provide a tobacco harvestingmachine having remote controls so that either worker may regulate themovement of the vehicle.

A further object vof this invention is to provide an improved elevatoror rst collector whereby the elevator is automatically tilted at theupper end of its movement and the Aelevating mechanism is automaticallytripped so `that the elevator may gravitatingly return `to a lower,receiving position.

A further object of `this invention iste provide a tobacco harvestingmachine which will Yspeed up the harvesting of the tobacco without`injury to the leaves, and will Apermitthe :harvesting :of the leavesirrespective of the heightor growth of the plants.

A furtherobject ofythis inventionris to provide a tobacco harvestingmachine which V'mcludesia spraying means for spraying the plants`:hiring the growththereof.

With the above and other objectsrinwiew, any invention consists in Fthearrangement, combination and details of construction `disclosed 1in' thedrawings `and specification, and then more particularly pointed out inthe appended relai-ms.

Figure 1 is a detailed side elevation, partly broken away, of a tobaccoharvesting machine constructed according to an embodiment ci thisinvention,

Figure 2 is a plan View, partly broken away, of thernachine,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view 'taken onthe line 3 3 of Figure2,

Figure `l is a detailed front elevation of the machine,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary rear elevation, partly in section, ofthemachine,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the Vline l-S vofFigure l,

,Figure 'I isa fragmentarysectional view taken on the line 'l--l .ofFigure 1,

Figure 8 is a `fragmentary sectional View taken on the line `8 3 `of`Figure 1,

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on Vthe `line 9-9ofeither Figure 6 .or Figure 7,

Figure lis a fragmentary sectional View talsen on Vthe line Ill-l0 ofFigure 3,

Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line Ii I-ll ofFigure 1,

Figure 12 ,is a fragmentary vertical section at the discharge end of themachine,

Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line `l3-I3 ofFigure 12, Y

4Figure 14 -is-a diagrammatic view showing the controls for :theoperating mechanism,

Figure 15 is a diagrammatic View showing the dual steering controls.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral it designates `generally 4amobile frame structure which is formed of apair of outer upright trainemembers 2i and 22, an intermediate frame structure 23, and-a horizontalupper frame structure 24.

'Ihe upright `frame members Zi and 22 are of like construction and eachupright frame El and `22 has rotatably mounted therein a vecallydisposed steering shaft 25 which is provided at ,itslower `end witha fork it between the arms of which a front wheel 2l is rotatably incrThe two front Wheels `2l Aare driving 'wheels a sprocket 23 is securedrelative to the Wheel Anendlesschain 2S engages about the s3 28and alsoengagesabout an upper sprocket s which is carried `by a stub shaft ilrote mountedin'a U-shaped connector 32. nector 32 lis fixed to the:upper end of sl andan upperarm of the connector has thereto a shortstub shaft whichiprojects wardly through a top `plate 311 carried by tne`frame '20.

'The stub shaftil hassecured thereto iniziversal coupling 35 and thecoupling 35 is secured to a horizontal power shaft 36 which extends froma differential 31 disposed in the central portion of the machine. Aright angularly disposed driving shaft 38 extends from the differential31 and is journalled in an intermediate frame structure 23.

A pulley 38 is secured to the rear end of the shaft 38 and a belt 40engages about the pulley 38 and about an upper pulley 4| secured to anupper horizontal shaft 42. The upper shaft 42 has secured to the rearend thereof a pulley 43 about which one or more belts 44 engage, and thebelts 44 also engage about a driving pulley 45 which is connected with apower element 46 in the form of an internal combustion engine or thelike.

An idler pulley 41 is carried by an adjustable hand lever 48 which iscarried by the rear of the frame 23, and the pulley 41 engages the'belts44. The lever 48 engages a toothed rack 49 so that leverl 48 may belocked in its adjusted position. An idler pulley 50 is carried by alever 5| rockably mounted on a bracket Y52, and is spring-pressed bymeans of a spring 53 to a released position with respect to belt 48.

A caster wheel 54 is rotatably carried by a bracket 55extendingrearwardly from the frame 23 and is adapted to engage between apair of rows of plants, as shown in Figure 5.

The frame structure 2| includes a pair of depending frame members 56connected together as at 51 at their lower ends, and e. verticallydisposed guide member or fiat frame bar 58 is fixed to the bottom member51 and extends upwardly therefrom. The'upper end of the guide bar 58 isinwardly curved, as indicated at 59, and is-xed to the upper framestructure 24.

A horizontally and rearwardly extending supporting bar 58 is-verticallyadjustable relative to the guide bar 58 bymeans of a pair of fasteningmembers 6| Awhich engage in spaced holes 62 provided in the guide bar58. The rear end of the supporting member or bar 68 is formed with arear hinged member 63, and a seat 64 is secured to the hinged member orbar 63.

A pair of connected together steering levers 65 are pivotally'V securedto a pivot member |38 carried by the bar 68, and a cable or flexibleconnecting member B1 engages about a pulley 58 which is fixed relativeto the steering levers 65. The cable 61 also engages about a pulley 69which is vertically adjusted along a vertically disposed shaft 18 whichis rotatably carried by the upright frame 2 Y The shaft 1U is providedwith a plurality of vertically spaced apart openings 1| through which afastening member 12 engages for vertically adjusting the pulley 89. Theupper end of shaft 18 has fixed thereto an upper pulley 13 about which acable 14 engages, and cable 14 engages about a pulley 15 which is fixedrelative to the shaft 25.

The shaft 25 also has fixed thereto a second pulley 16 about which abelt or cable 11 engages, and cable 11 extends lengthwise of the upperframe 24 and is connected with the other upper pulley 16 carried by thesecond outer upright shaft 25, as shown in Figure 15. By means of thedouble steering mechanism each worker on a seat 64 will be able to steerthe machine as it moves along the rows of plants.

Each frame member 2| and 22 has movably Y mounted thereon a verticallymovable elevator or first collector generally'indicated at-18. The

collector 18 is formed with slide bars 19 engaging the guide 58, and apair of lower rollers 88 and 8| are carried by the slide bar 19 at thelower portion thereof and engage on the forward and rearward edges ofthe guide bar 58. An upper roller 82 is also carried by the slide bars18 and engages the rear edge of the guide 58 above the rollers 80 and8|.

The upper forward portion of the guide 58 is provided with an upwardlyand rearwardly projecting arcuateguide opening or slot 83 within whichroller 88 is adapted to engage at the time the collector 18 is beingtilted, as will be hereinafter described, for discharging the tobaccoleaves onto a horizontally movable conveyor 84 which is carried by theupper frame 24.

AA U-shaped member 85 is pivotally carried by the upper portion of theframe 2li and has a pulley 85 rotatably mounted thereon. A cable 81 isfixed to the elevator formed by the collector 18 and the slide bars 18,the elevator being generally indicated by the numeral 88. The cable 81engages over the pulley 86 and over a pulley 83 which is rotatablymounted at the forward portion of the upper frame 24. The cable 81 isthen extended downwardly as indicated at 55, and is trained about alower pulley 8| xed to the forward portion of the upright frame 2 l. Thecable 81 is then extended rearwardly and substantially horizontally, asindicated at 82, and is wound about a winding drum 83 fixed to a shaft84.

The shaft 94 has fixed thereto a spur gear 95, and a small spur gear 85is loosely carried by a shaft 81. The shaft 91 has fixed to the outerend thereof a pulley 98 about which a belt 85 engages.

The belt 88 extends forwardly and engages about a pulley |88 mountedrotatably on a stub shaft |8| carried by the forward portion of theuprightV frame 2|. A second pulley |52 is fixed relative to the pulley|60 and a belt |83 engages about pulley |82 and about a pulley |84 whichis secured to horizontal shaft |85.

The shaft |85 is journalled in bearings |06 secured and extending fromthe forward portion of upper frame 24. Shaft |85 has xed to theintermediate portion thereof a bevel gear |01 which meshes with a bevelgear |88 secured to right angularly disposed and rearwardly extendingshaft 42 carried by the upper frame 24.

The elevator 88 has fixed thereto a pair of upwardly extending rods |88which are adapted to engage pulley 8B, and elevator 88 is also providedwith a tripping member H5 which extends from the upper portion of theelevator 88 and is engageable with a locking lever pivotally securedasat ||2 to the forward portion of frame 24 and extending upwardly andrearwardly in a position overlying the bight of the inverted U-shapedmember 85.

The looking lever is provided with a camshaped locking element ||3adjustably secured along the length of lever i and locking element 3 isadapted to hold lever or U-shaped member B5 against forward rocking atthe time the bars |09 bear against pulley 88. Locking lever is providedwith a right angularly disposed an'd horizontally extending arm I4 whichis disposed in the path of the movement of release member ||0 so thatvrelease member ||8 upon striking arm |4 will raise locking element ||3upwardly and thereby permit U-shaped member 85 to` swing forwardly anddownwardly against the tension of spring 5 which constantly urgesU-shaped member 85 downwardly and rearwardly. Y

.is provided with 'an elongated opening At the `time the A-eievator 88ziis fits 1'upper position :roller 82 Willrollover the arcuate "portion59 of guide"bar-58and -rolier-80-will move into the arcuate slot 'or4opening 83.

The shaft 91 has loosely'mounted thereon one elementi l 6 offaclutch,andthe other element-|11 of 'the Aclutch generally*indicated at 'H8 issecured tothe spur gear `96,the latter being loose onshaftl.',The'clutch-element |16 is `provided with a grooved portioni |'9whichfis engaged by fork |20, andthe fork '|20 is VYxed relative to a`horizontally movable slide 12|. The slide |2| is slidaloly carried .bya :horizontally 'disposed guide |22 which is carriedbythe upper portiono`frame2l.

`A vertically disposed crankshaft |23 is rotatablycarriedby the guide|22 .and hasnXedthere- .tota crankarm "|24 which 'is'connectedwith theslide |21 by means of a'link |25. A second obliquelyfdisposed crank arm|26 is xed relative tothe crankshaft |23 Hand crank arm `|26 haspivotally Asecured thereto the forward end of.a .link.|'21. 'Thejlink|21 extends rearwardly andis pivotally connectedfto the upper end of anupright shaft |28.

The shaft |28 is a swinging shaft and is secured inspacedparallelrelationto a second pivotally disposed shaft |29 bymeans ofconnectingbars |30 and `|3|. A spring-pressed clutch operating rod |32is pivotallysecured at its forward end vto shaft |28 adjacent the 4lowerportion of the latter, Vand-rod |32 is slidablein a sleeve |33 which is`secured to and supported from the supporting bar v6l] by means of asupport |34.

Rod |32 is spring-pressed .rearwardly 'to a clutch releasing position bymeans of a spring |35, and the rear end of rod |32 has nxed thereto aknob |36. At the time the rst `collector 18 -isasubstantially filledwith `tobacco leaves, the Yworker disposed on the seat 64 will push knob|36 and rod |32 forwardly so as `to thereby move clutch element ||6 intoengagement with clutch element ||1. -Atthis time -windingdrum 93 willrotate so as to wind cable 81.thereabout and raise velevator y88 to its4upper discharging position.

When `collector' 18 is substantially discharged ofrthe'leaves andU-shaped lever or member 85 `is rocked forwardly, clutch yelement ||6 isautoimatically Vreleased by means of a depending re- .leaserrod|31which'is pivotally secured at its `upper end tog-a depending arm |38carried by U- shaped member 85. `The lower portion of rod |31 slidablyengages through a laterally projecting .lug |39 `which is carried by arock lever |40.

A collar |4| is adjustably secured to the lower portion of rod |31 andis adapted upon upward movement of rod |31 to engage lug |33. Lever |40|42 through which a laterally-projecting extension |43 carried by acrank |44 engages. A spring |45 is secured tothe extension |43 andconstantly The crank |44 extends horizontally The clutch vreleasingmember |41 is When crank |44 is raised upwardly, clutch locking member|41 `is released from keeper |48 and clutch velement |6 is then moved to.declutching position by means ofspring "IhelconveyorP8`4isformed of anendless belt or web which engages about drums |43 and |50 6 which yarerotated 'ibyv meansof iibevel gears |2511 and |52 respectively. "Gear|5| "meshesvwith-ia bevel gear |53 mounted on one :endwofshaft e505, andgear-i 52 meshesfwith aeevel gear l mounted on the opposite end fofshaft :l0-5.

vThe discharge end of conveyor `84 discharges the leaves which areldumped 'thereon .by the elevators --88 into a hopper or receivergenerally indicated at v|55. A downwardly inclined guide plate |56 `isdisposed at-the discharge endof the conveyor'l 34 'for guidingthe'leaves into the open upper-end of the hopper or receiver' |1515.`The hopper or receiver |55 is supported-at the discharge end ofconveyor A84-|oy means of a pair of downwardly inclined links |51which-are pivotallysecured at their upper'ends to upstanding supportingmembers |58 iixedftothe upperfraine 24.

The hopper or receiverl 55His held in a'vertical position by means oflink |51 and a second link |59 pivotally vsecured'at'one end tothe lowerportion of hopper or receiver |55 and `pifvotally secured as at |60 tothe adjacent end `of *frame `24.

A crank arm |6| extends obliquely 'from `the upper end of link |159 .andis `connected "with `a hydraulic plunger |62 which'is 'slidabl'e in ahydraulic cylinder .l 63. 'The cylinder |53 isadapted to be connected to.source of liqui'dpressure supply by means of a pipe line` |54 whichispreferably nexible and a valve is interposed in the pipe or tubularline |64. Valve "|85 is springpressed, as shown in Figure .14, to aclosed position by means of a spring `|66 and is adapted to'be manuallymoved lto 'an open .position `by pulling or" the cable or flexibleVmember |61.

The cable or flexible member |61 is trained over a guilde pulley'l68 andone end of the cable |61 isanchoredas at |39 toithe' lower plate 51 ofupright frame 22. .A horizontally movable valve operating bar llenas apulley.,|'1"| about which the cable |61 engageaand pulley |'1.`| .isdisposed between apair of Aidler pulleys |12 and |13 which are disposedinwverticallyspaced.position and are .carried by the upright `frame 22.

A hand lever |14 is pivotallyconnectedllbetween the ends thereof .tobar|10 and is .pivotally mounted at its lower end :on theradjacent seatsupporting member 60. Ahopper or receiver y| is provided at the bottomthereof .with a'pair of downwardly Vconvergent .doors or `closures 15which are hinged at ytheir upper-.edges to .the hopper |55 and yarelatched 1in `closed position by means of latchmembers |16`engaging.keepers |11 which are fixed to theadjacent ends ofthe hopper|55. Thelatch membersillf are-spring- `pressed by means of springs `|18to a. flatching position. There is a latch member |16 `at each end ofthehopper |55 for each closure or door 115, and the latch membersassociated witheach door are connected .together by means of anelongated rod |13 which forms the pivot-'member for the latch members|16. `-In thismanner either or both Vdoors |15 may be released .to.gravitat- .ingly swing downwardly .and outwardly to ds chargingposit-ion by release of eitherllatch mem- `ber |15 at either end oi thehopper |55.

Inorder that the right hand worker disposed onl the seat 64 may stop theVmachine or vslow the machine down at selectedpoints or intervals, .apair of brake drums |50 are secured Ito the shaft 36 and a brake band|8| engages about each lbrake drum |80. As shown in 'Figure 9,oneend ofthe Vbrakeband I8 is "anchored rel-ativetothe frame *structure and'"theother end' ci fthe Lbrake .u

7 supported as at |83. A spring |84 constantly urges the bellcrank |82to band releasing position, and a cable |85 as shown-in Figure 14, isconnected to an elongated rod |86 which is pivotally connected with thebellcrank |82.

The cable |85 is trained about pulleys |81 and |80 and is then extendeddownwardly in outer frame 2| and is anchored as at |89 to the bottommember 51. A brake operating rod |90 is slidably carried by thesupporting member 00, and has a pulley |9| engaging about the cable |85between a pair of idler pulleys |92 which are carried by the frame 2|.

- A brake operating lever |93 pivotally connected with the frame orsupport 50 is pivotally connected with bar |99. As shown in Figure 14,there are two brake levers associated with frame member 2|, the brakelever ISila being connected by means of a exible cable |05a to theopposite brake band I8 a.

In order to provide a means whereby the winding drum 93 will be heldagainst free turning when the elevator 88 is gravitatingly droppingdownwardly to receiving position, a drum |94 is fixed on shaft 94 and aresilient braking member |95 engages the drum |94. The braking member|95 is also spring-pressed to braking position by means of a spring |90,as shown in Figure 9.

The intermediate frame 23 has a seat |91 extending rearwardly therefromand in order that a person seated on seat |91 may also stop the machine,a pair of brake operating levers |98 are rockably carried by the rearportion of frame 23, and include crank arms |99 pivotally connected withthe bars |86. The worker seated in the right hand Vseat 84 may controlthe forward movement of the vehicle in addition to regulating thedumping of the hop-per |55, by means of a lever 200 which is pivotallyconnected to a slide bar Idler pulley lever 5| is adapted to be moved tobelt tightening position with respect to belt 40 by means of a cable 202which is connected at one end to lever 5| and is engaged about an upperpulley 203.

The cable 202 is extended downwardly in the right hand frame 22 and isanchored as at 204 to the bottom member 51 of frame 22. Bar 20| has apulley 205 at the innerrend thereof which engages between a pair ofidler pulleys 208 carried by the frame 22. Spring 53 maintains cable 202taut, as well as constantly urging lever 5| to a belt disengagingposition.

The intermediate frame 23 includes a tank 201 for containing insecticideand the insecticide is adapted to be sprayed onto the plants as will behereinafter described. A horizontally disposed pipe 203 is adjustablymounted in clips 209 carried by the forward ends or" the frame members2| and 22 and pipe |50 has secured to an intermediate point thereof aflexible hose 2|0. The hose 2|0 is connected with a pump cylinder 2||having a plunger 2 |2 slidable therein.

The intake side of the pump 2|| is connected by means of a pipe 2|3 tothe reservoir or tank 281. Plunger 2|2 is adapted to be reciprocated bymeans of a pitman 2|4 which is connected between the plunger 2l2 and acrank pin 2|5 secured to a wheel 2|5 mounted on a shaft 2|1. The wheel216 constitutes a pulley and has a belt 2|3 trained thereabout whichalso engages about a pulley 2| 9 mounted on shaft 42.

A belt tightening pulley 220 is carried by a crank arm 22| which issecured to a shaft 222 vextending rearwardly beneath the conveyor 84.VThe rear end of the shaft 222 has a crank arm 2,23 extending rightangularly therefrom in front of the seat |01. The pipe 208 has extendingdownwardly therefrom spray nozzles 224 which are disposed in a positionabove the plants engaged between the frame members 2|, 22, and 23, andat the outer sides of frame members 2| and 22. It will be understoodthat the spray construction hereinbefore described will be used at anytime necessary for spraying insecticide on the plants but will not beused at the time the leaves are being stripped from the plants.

In the use and operation of this machine, when the leaves are to bestripped from the plants, the seat supporting members 60 will bedisposed in their lower position which is substantially the positionshown in Figure 1. Power member 46 is coupled to the driving mechanismby the control lever 200 and it will be understood that the machine isgeared down to a point wherein the workers can readily strip the leavesfrom the plants without stopping the motion of the machine. The machinewill straddle several rows of plants, as shown in Figure 5, with tworows being disposed between outer frame 2| and intermediate frame 23,and between outer frame 22 and intermediate frame 23. The two workerswill strip the leaves from the lower portions of the plants of the tworows being straddled by the machine and the workers may also strip theleaves from the plants disposed on the outer sides of the frame members2| and 22.

After a collector 1B has been substantially filled with leaves, theworker pushes rod |32 inwardly so as to move clutch member ||6 intoclutching engagement with clutch member 1. Winding drum 93 will thenwind cable 81 thereabout and raise elevator 88 upwardly. When elevator88 is in substantially the upper end of its travel, releasing member |I0will strike arm ||4 so as to release U-shaped lever from Vlocking memberH8. Continued pull on cable 81 will tip elevator 88 downwardly andinwardly with rods |09 bearing against U-shaped lever 55, and rockingthis lever to the left, as viewed in Figure l.

The leaves carried by the first collector or ren ceiver 18 are dumpedonto the laterally moving conveyor 84. and as elevator 68 dumps theleaves onto the conveyor 01|, clutch release rod` |31 is pulled upwardlyand clutch member i IS is moved laterally to a clutch releasingposition. With clutch member I6 released, elevator 88 will gravitatinglydrop downwardly to a receiving position. The leaves dumped onto conveyor84 are moved laterally into hopper or second collector |55 and fwhenthis collector is substantially lled a truck is moved beneath the hopper|55. inasmuch as the collector or hopper |55 is disposed in a relativelylow position the collector |55 is preferably raised when it is desiredto dump the collected leaves into the truck or receiver.

The raising of the hopper or collector |55 is accomplished by openingvalve |55 so that lever |59 will be swung upwardly. Lever or link |59will operate with link |51 in holding hopper |55 ina vertical position.

When the truck is disposed beneath the hopper |55, the worker candischarge the leaves into the truck by opening either or both of thedoors |15. If it is desired to drop the leaves vertically downwardlyboth doors |15 are opened. However, if it is desired to drop the leavesdownwardly and to either the right or left, as viewed in Figure 5,either the right or left hand door |15 is released so that the leaveswill slide downwardly over the lected and will save a considerableamount of time in the collecting of the leaves due to thc fact that theworkers are relieved of the necessity of walking across several rows ofplants to de posit their collected leaves into a truck, which moveswithin a relatively wide passageway between selected rows of plants.

I do not mean to conne myself to the enact details of constructionherein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview ofthe appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A tobacco harvesting machine comprising a mobile frame, driving meansfor said frame, a pair of vertically disposed guide members carried bysaid frame, a vertically adjustable seat support carried by each guideand projecting rearwardly therefrom, means adjusting said seat supportson said guide means, means carried by said seat supports controlling themovement of the machine, a third centrally positioned seat i support,means carried by said third seat support for steering said vehicle, avertically movable collector carried by each guide means, means forraising each collector, a laterally movable conveyor carried by saidframe, means at the mobile frame, driving means for said frame, a l

pair of vertically disposed guide members care ried by said frame, avertically adjustable seat support carried by each guide and projectingrearwardly therefrom, means adjusting said seat supports on said guidemeans, means carried by said seat supports controlling the movement ofthe machine, a third centrally positioned seat support, means carried bysaid third seat support for steering said vehicle, a vertically movablecollector carried by each guide means, means for raising each collector,a laterally movable conveyor carried by said frame, means at the upperend of each guide for tipping said collectors to thereby discharge theleaves onto said conveyor, means operable by each collector at the timethe collector is being tipped for' disengaging said raising meanswhereby the collector may gravitatingly move downwardly to receivingposition, a receiver disposed at the forward end of said conveyor, andmeans for raising said receiver,

3. A tobacco harvesting machine comprising a mobile frame, driving meansfor said frame, a pair of vertically disposed guide members carried bysaid frame, a vertically adjustable seat support carried by each guideand projecting rearwardly therefrom, means adjusting said seat supportson said guide means, means carried by said seat supports controlling themovement or the machine, a vertically movable collector car ried by mhguide means, means for raising each collector, a laterally movableconveyor carried by said frame, means at the upper end of each guide fortipping said collectors to thereby discharge the leaves onto saidconveyor, means operable by each collector at the time the collector isbeing tipped for disengaging said raising means whereby the collectormay gravitatingly move downwardly to receiving position, and a receiverdisposed at the forward end of said conveyor, said receiver including apair of hinged bottom walls, and release-ble latch means for holdingsaid bottom walls in closed position.

4. A tobacco harvesting machine comprising a mobile frame, driving meansfor said frame, a

pair oi' vertically disposed guide members carried by said frame, avertically adjustable seat support carried by each guide and projectingrearwardly therefrom, means adjusting said seat supports on said guidemeans, means including brake means carried by each of said seat supportscontrolling the movement of the machine, each of said brake means beingindividually controlled, a vertically movable collector carried by eachguide means, means for raising each collector', a laterally movableconveyor carried by said frame, means at the upper end of each guide fortipping said collectors to thereby discharge the leaves onto saidconveyor, means operable by each collector at the time the collector isbeing tipped for disengaging said raising means whereby the collectormay gravitatingly move downwardly to receiving position, and a receiverdisposed at the forward end of said conveyor, said receiver including apair of hinged bottom walls, and releasable latch means for holding saidbottom walls in closed position.

5. A tobacco harvesting machine comprising a mobile frame, driving meansfor said frame, a pair of vertically disposed guide members carried bysaid frame, a vertically adjustable seat support carried by each guideand projecting rearwardly therefrom, means adjusting said seat supportson said guide means, means including brake means carried by each of saidseat supports controlling the movement of the machine, each of saidbrake means being individually controlled, a third centrally positionedseat support, means carried by said third seat support for steering saidvehicle, a vertically movable collector carried by each guide means,means for raising each collector, a laterally movable conveyor carriedby said frame, means at the upper end of each guide for tipping saidcollectors to thereby discharge the leaves onto said conveyor, meansoperable by each collector at the time the collector is being tipped fordisengaging said raising means whereby the collector may gravitatinglymove downwardly to receiving position, and a receiver disposed at theforward end of said conveyor, said receiver including e, pair of hingedbottom walls, and releasable latch means for holding said bottom wallsin closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 119,574 Clifford Oct. 3, 1871 1,275,781 Stark et al Aug. 13,1918 1,432,513 Zesbaugh et al Oct. 17, 1922 1,771,625 Halleck July 29,1930 1,833,282 France Nov. 24, 1931 2,084,656 Rottee June 22, 19372,234,599 Johnston Mar. 11, 1941 2,518,965 Whitley Aug. 15, 19502,536,507 Lang et al. Jan. 2, 1951 2,622,385 Cal'lli e1-ns..-" Dec,`2,3, v195.2

